Garden Grill - Smithtown

Garden Grill in Smithtown is the perfect place for a wholesome, relaxing, fine dining experience.
This hidden gem will give you the look and feel of dining in someone's home. The quaint and carefully designed decor offers a romantic atmosphere even during the day. It makes the place the perfect venue for a date or impressive family gathering.
Lauren and I came in our usual Thursday night dinner slot and really enjoyed our entire experience.


We were greeted by a friendly waitress who introduced herself and placed warm bread and sundried tomato spread on the table.
While the tomato spread was tasty the same can't be said about the bread. Lauren and I both found it to be dry with a grainy texture and we didn't enjoy the taste.


To drink we each started with a tasteful glass of white wine (Sauvignon Blanc)which was delicious.
I started with a crisp garden salad appetizer with creamy garlic dressing which I really enjoyed.


After that it was time to dig in to the main courses.
Lauren had the prime rib with mashed potatoes, which she said was good.
I ordered the Sausage Cavatelli pasta, which I found to be delicious and unique.(It was also incredibly filling!)



For dessert, Lauren and I split a tartuffo. (Vanilla and chocolate ice cream in a hardened chocolate shell with raspberry in the middle) They presented this very nicely with whipped cream and chocolate sauce on the plate.

Lauren and I left feeling full and satisfied.
We also made sure we took a peek at the awesome "attic" type party room upstairs on our way out.

In short, The food was good, the service was good and the place is incredibly cozy.
That's why we gave Garden Grill 3.5 mints out of 5 on the dinner mint scale.



I must add that I have been here on Valentine's Day in years past and they really do a great job. Although more expensive, with a special menu, it's completely worth it for how special and memorable the experience is.

Hurricane Grill & Wings - Levittown

Wings fan? Then venturing to Hurricane Grill and Wings in Levittown is a MUST! From jumbo wings to boneless wings, from Garlic Parmesan to Honey Glazed, Hurricane Grill has every kind of wing you could dream of to satisfy your craving. You may want to do yourself a favor and check out the menu in advance because there are THAT many wonderful (calorie filled) options... you could possibly spend an hour just reviewing the menu.

The theme is a tropical beach paradise. You truly are transported to a cool island bar scene on a sunny day. It's a super casual, "get a beer and watch the game" type of joint. Both the dining room and bar area are quite small so make sure you go during off-peak dining hours. It's becoming a local hot spot!Alex and I started with "on the bone" Mango BBQ Sauce Wings which consisted of a tropical barbecue glaze with mango, ginger, pineapple and lime flavorings. They were delectable and all white meat. I have also sampled the nachos during a subsequent visit to Hurricane Grill. The nachos were tasty, but only if you enjoy Mexican style. I would recommend another appetizer such as the fried pickles - yum!

For my main course, I decided on a mixture of boneless Teriyaki Wings and BBQ Wings. The Teriyaki was a blend of soy sauce, ginger, and exotic spices, topped with sesame seeds. The BBQ was a southern smokehouse taste and I experienced a light crunch and burst of flavor with each bite... perfection! The sauces were plentiful, but not too much where it's sloppy and dripping all over the place. Alex had the Cajun Rub Wings on the bone as well as the Jamaican Jerk Salad, both of which he thoroughly enjoyed. A fan of spicy foods, Alex noted that the salad left him with a "delightful burn" after every bite. I have also sampled the traditional Hurricane Wings (Buffalo sauce) which "blew" it's competition, Buffalo Wild Wings, out of the water!

Hurricane Grill's more than 30 wing flavors are put into numbered categories based on their level of spiciness, which is appropriate for their Hurricane theme! The categories range from a Category 1 (calm before the storm) to a Category 5 (seek shelter!). It's safe to say if you are not looking for Alex's "delightful burn," stick with Category 3 or below.

Hurricane Grill and Wings is definitely worthy of 5 out of 5 Mints on the Dinner Mint Scale. Well done!